Lubricant measuring valve



Feb. 5, w52

Filed June '7, 1946' J.' T. LEONARD LUBRICANT MEASURING VALVE 2 SHEETS-SHEET l J ys.

Feb- 5, 1952 J. T. LEONARD 2,584,890

LUBRICANT MEASURING VALVE Filed June 7, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 l, ZZ u Z5 'Z942 q; Il ii ik? Patented Feb. 5, 1952 UNITE D 1S lPlll'rEfN T lOfF-.F I CE vLUBRICNT MEASURINGEVALVE 'John Leonard,I Evanston; Ill.

Application'June 7, 1946, Serial No. 675,240

. comms. (Crim- 7) M-y invention relatesV generally "to 'lubricating apparatus andmore' particularly' to improvements in measuring valves ffor centralizedlubricating systems.

In lubricant measuring valves, or feedervalves, it is usually necessary that the relatively moving parts, such as valves and' pistons, be lapped in the cylinders in lwhich they are reciprocable. 'Such' lapping operations are expensive and add appreciably to the cost of 'production `ofvsuch valves. Unless/the valves andpistons are lapped in their cylinders; appreciable leakage may take place, resulting vfin-over lubrication ofsome of the bearings which is not only al waste `of lubricant, but in manyinstances, the excess lubri- |`cant'ovving from 'the' bearings may cause damageto the products being processed by the ma- 'ch-ine. This -is particularlytrue in connection with the lubrication `of textile-and food processing machines.

' It is therefore the `primary object of my linven- A'tion t0 provide an improved'measuring'or'feeder valve for centralized4 lubricating systems which may be manufactured by/ordinary commercial manufacturing methods using customary com- 'mercial tolerances inthe dimensions fthe valves,

'eating apparatus which may be manufactured vby non-.precision manufacturing methods at low cost, and'which'willbe efcient and durable in operation.

Other objects willappear from the following description, referencebeinghad to the accompanying dra-wings; in'which:

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a complete'measuring valve of the invention "asei'nstalledin'a centralized lubricating system; y

Fig. 2 is .an enlarged central longitudinalsectional view taken on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1showing the parts in the 'positions assumed-at the beginning of an operating cycle;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig.. 2,.show ing the parts in the positions assumed `during ldifferent parts of the operating cycle;

Figs. 5, 6 and`7 are transverse sectional views taken on thevlines-5 of-Fi-g.f2, 6-6 of Fig. 3 and-'I--JI of Fig. 4, respectively;

Fig. 8 isan isometric view of one of the seals; and

Fig. 9V is a fragmentary sectional View taken'o'n the line '9--9of Fig. 2.

.'llflemeasuring valve` is kadaptf-id to be utilized in a so-icalledfmultiple dual line lubricating vsystempf theftype shown for example in my copend- 'ingtapplication Serial No. `549,223, flledl August `1'2, .1944,1now-Patent No. 2,440,410. In systems f'ofvthis character, practically any desired number of measuring-valves I0 are connected in parwa'llel .by conduits I2 and I3, and lubricantunder pressurel is alternately supplied, lat predetermined intervals, to one of the conduits I2 andy I3, VWhile the other conduit is'vented to a reservoir. The means for supplying lubricant under pressure may 1 be of any onetof alarge variety of types, usually including a four-way valve, which may `'be manually or automatically operated rst to connect ta lubricantrcompressor tov they line` I2 and the linev I 3-to .the reservoir, and then connect the compressor to line I3 While connecting the line -I2 tothe reservoir .of the lubricant compressor.

`The measuring valve III-comprises a body vI4 having'a cylindrical bore I6. The conduits I2 and I31fareconnected tothe .body I4 by suitable .ttings threaded' into plugs I8 which are pressed :IIS are closed by plugs 26 and 2'I,'suitable gaskets 28 being providedA Iso-assure a; pressure tight seal. Each of the plugs is-provided with a stop extension 30'for engagement respectively with valves 432 'and 33.k The :centrally facing ends of the `valves1f42 Aand 33 are provided with reduced diameter-extensions 34 -and -35 respectively, theseextensions/normallyA engaging the ends of a rod V36 -whichis freely slidable thrcugha central bore 3'! formed in a piston-138.

'Seals 40'and 4I are located between the pisten -38 and 'the valves 32 and 33 respectively, these :seals hav-inglocating end portions 43 enl,lg-aging.-in1milled bypass recesses 44 and 45 respectively. As best shown in Figs. v 6, 7 and 8,

`the seals 40, v4I are of generally horseshoe shape =having arcylindrical portion 46 and the end portions 43. These seals are preferably madeof `thin ilexible resilient sheet metal, such as phos- .phor bronze-or -a copper-beryllium alloy.

fllfle-body I4 is provided with ports 48 and 49, communicating with'the conduits I2 and I3, and

-portsrll andfl respectively, communicating with -theconduits I24 and 25 which lead to the bear- .ings to be lubricated.

With the partsin the positions shown in Fig.

-2, lubricant -is suppliedto the conduit I2 -and vpermitted 4to ilowfreelyfrom the conduit I3.

Under these circumstances, the lubricant under pressure entering the port 48 exerts a force upon the valve 32 and the latter, due to its direct engagement with the piston 38 and through the rod 36, moves all of the movable parts in the cylinder, except seal 4| to the rightto the position in which they are shown in Fig. 3.

During the course of such movement the valve 33, after cutting off the bypass 45, discharges lubricant from the right-hand end of the cylinder I6 through the port 49. The seal 4| due to the fact that it resiliently engages the wall of cylinder I6, remains in the position in which it is shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

After the parts have 4been moved to the positions in which they are shown in Fig. 3, the lubricant supplied to the inlet 48 may floW through the bypass 44 and will move the piston 38 to the right, thereby discharging lubricant contained between the right-hand end of the piston 38 and the valve 33 through the outlet port 5| to the bearing connected to the conduit 25. Such movement continues until the piston engages the seal 4| and moves it to the right to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, in

which position it cuts oi the outlet port 5|. The

movement of the piston is also arrested due to its engagement with the projections of the valve 33, and the movement of the latter is limited by its engagement with the projection 38 of the plug 21. A half cycle of operation of the valve is thus completed.

This half cycle may be completed in one of the valves prior to the completion of the corresponding half cycle in other measuring valves being simultaneously supplied with lubricant under pressure through the conduit AI2. Thus, without the seal 4|, unless the piston 38 had a perfectly tight seal in the cylinder I6 and the rod 36 was similarly lubricant tight in the bore 31, lubricant would leak past the piston and through the outlet supplied through the conduit I2 for a suciently long interval to assure that all of the measuring valves connected thereto have operated through their first half cycle, the pressure in this conduit is relieved and lubricant under pressure supplied to the conduit |3. When this occurs the moving parts within the cylinder I6 operate in a manner opposite to that described above during the first half cycle, with the ultimate result that after discharging a measured quantity of lubricant through the outlet port 50, the piston 38 will move the seal 48 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 2, thereby positively sealing the outlet port 50, and completing'a full cycle of operation.

The valves 32 and 33 are eifective to seal the ports 50 and 5| respectively when they are in the positions shown in Figs. 4 and 2, because when in this position the lubricant under pressure acts upon the lowerv half of each of these valves to force them upwardly into sealing engagement with the surface of the cylinder IS surrounding the ports 50 and 5| respectively.

By virtue of the utilization of the seals 40 and 4I, undesired flow or leakage of the lubricant to the bearings is prevented, and the parts may be manufactured using tolerances which may readily be maintained by ordinary methods of manufacture, making it possible to produce the valve Without the necessity of lapping the piston and valves in the cylinder. The cost of manufacture is thereby greatly decreased as compared with the cost of similar valves not employing the seals.

While I have shown and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that numerous variations and modifications thereof may be made without departing from the underlying principles of the invention. I

-therefore desire, by the following claims, to

include within the scope of the invention, all such variations and modifications by which substantially the results of my invention may be obtained through the use of substantially the same or equivalent means.

I claim:

1. A measuring valve for centralized lubricating systems comprising a body having a cylindrical bore therein and having bypasses adjacent the ends of the bore, a pair of valve members respectively movable relative to said bypasses to open and close them, a piston reciprocable in the bore between the two valves, a rod extending through the piston and forming a rigid connection between the valves, lubricant supply ports respectively opening into the opposite ends of the bore, outlet ports-opposite the bypasses, and seals cooperable with the outlet ports and movable by said pistons and valves respectively, said seals being of thin resilient sheetmetal, being engageable with the walls of the cylindrical bore, and being adapted to be pressed against the wall of the bore adjacent the outlets by lubricant pressure so as to seal the ports when moved thereover by the piston.

2. A lubricant-measuring valve comprising a Ibody in which there is a bore provided with an offset bypass and in which there is a discharge port Aleading from the bore at a point diametrically opposite the bypass, a valve to seal the port comprising a split thin resilient sheet metal band,

a portion of which is shaped ,to conform to the cylindrical wall of the bore adjacent the port, and having end portions conformed to fit in the bypass and thereby to keep the valve from rotating and to maintain the cylindrical portion thereof in position to cover the port, said valve being stressed to resiliently engage the wall of the bore thereby to hold it in any position to which it may be moved.

JOHN T. LEONARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

